Mantetsu To Serial Number

[Bruno]

Hello,

 

Anybody know what the katakana usually found a little above the serial number on the mune means?

 

So far I have seen WA and SA. 

 

Thank you

[Bruce Pennington]

Bruno,

 

As far as I know, no one really knows what the serial number is for at all, so the reason for the katakana isn't known either, I'm afraid. Someone, maybe it was Ohmura, tentatively called it a contract number, but it was speculation.

 

I always assumed the one on mine was the number 10, but now that you've raised the question, I wonder. Do you read these? If so, what is mine, it's neither of the ones you showed:

[Stephen]

Bruno 594

 

Yours 184

[PNSSHOGUN]

My best guess is production batch like gun serial numbers.

[Bruce Pennington]

Bruno 594

 

Yours 184

Stephen, we mean the kanji above the number. Any idea?

[Stephen]

Morita sama showed us just a week or so ago, Wa

[Bruno]

Stephen, we mean the kanji above the number. Any idea?

 

Your photo is blurry but yours looks like the katakana "NA"

[Bruno]

I think they used several katakana like SA (my first picture), WA (my second picture) and also maybe NA for Bruce's one.

 

Maybe Morita sama can confirm...

[Bruce Pennington]

Bruno,

 

I was re-reading the Ohmura page for another thread and noticed that he has a nakago with "Hi 226" listed (the one on the right of the 3 depicted). For some reason, he doesn't show a picture of it, it's just listed in the text below the picture of the nakago.

[Bruce Pennington]

Also, you got me curious about katakana and I found a chart. Isn't this one of yours "Fu" rather than "Wa"? The wa should have a 3 stroke, and yours looks like 2 stroke?

[Bruno]

Yes maybe FU rather than WA, can't see very well. At the end I think they are just part of the serial.assemble number. 

 

I know one can determine when the blade was made just with this serial number.